Dawson Park Boy

Thanks I totally agree. Strange for this forum.

Excuse my ignorance, but on the 20th do we start off with the game scheduled after the last game we played - the loss to East Fife?

Correct regarding entitlement but not, I think paid for by RUK.

I think I agree with you. The point I was making regards state pensions is that there isn’t a big fund sitting there to pay out pensioners. Pensions are paid out of current contributions. I think the earlier poster was suggesting that the new Scotland would get a wedge of dosh to pay out pensioners which I don’t think would be the case. Scotland would need to pay pensioners out of contributions taken from date of independence.

A share of the assets will be publicly owned assets situated in Scotland I would imagine plus some warships, etc. At the end of the day, I would rather think that the Scottish government will be due the UK government but, hey, I don’t know. Regarding state pensions, remember there is no fund but they need to be paid out of current contributions made by taxpayers. Maybe someone with more knowledge can enlighten us?

Yes

No problem.

I suppose it’s a bit like the Brexit debate where the BBC were overwhelmingly anti Brexit. Actually, I wouldn’t worry too much about media bias as the public quickly suss things out and spot that they are being for a ride.

There is some truth in that, let’s be honest. On a personal level, I’m a fair age and quite well off so finance doesn’t matter too much. However I do have a large family and worry about their future. Its impossible not to hanker after a bit of ‘the good old days’ but, in reality, they weren’t all that good. Funnily enough, my wife and I were discussing that very point the other night and remembered how, in our first jobs, we were both sexually abused by our respective bosses. We both just made our position clear (on your bike) and got on with our lives with a bit more awareness. Nowadays, quite correctly, this behaviour would not be tolerated and the perpetrators would be severely dealt with. Excellent progress! The age of deferring to position has well and truly passed. Anyway, apologies for rambling.

15 to 20 % would have been a big hit but, at the end of the day, maybe any price is worth it for independence either from the EU or the UK. That’s for every individual to decide. All I’m saying is that some reasonable projections should be given to voters which should be easier to do in the case of Scottish independence as against leaving the EU as we are currently within the same country and fiscal and monetary framework. On leaving,the SNP need to spell out currency, tariffs with RUK, EU membership, nuclear subs, defence, borrowing costs, payment of pensions/benefits, likely interest rates for mortgages. Just a few of the tasks awaiting, but no doubt you have the answers?

Find it hard to understand that statement about credibility. My first loyalty is to my local team where I am a supporter, shareholder and finance raiser, and have been since a boy. However, there are quite a few other teams who I follow such as Rangers and Hearts (my dad took me to the 56 cup final to see Hearts beat Celtic). Indeed I always follow Celtic and Rangers when they are playing in Europe as they represent Scotland. In England, I have friends who live in Durham and I support Sunderland. Your attempted point just seems so silly!

I do recall you saying it had about £2bn capital which, of course, is petty cash. Anyway, tell us more. What is it investing in and how big a staff does it have?

Because I loved the idea of being out of the useless EU but realised that there could be financial implications. If I felt that the cost would have been too high, then I might have voted to stay in. What I, and I would thought most people would NOT want to happen, is for people to vote for something which, when they later find that there is a substantial cost involved say ‘What the f.... is this all about. Why wasn’t I told about this?’ It’s just an extra layer of protection for people, unlike yourself, who don’t spend a lot of times studying the minutiae of politics.

Surely that "second vote" you are referencing is just a general election in a newly independent Scotland where the political parties putting themselves forward have outlined their view of independence? No - not at all. If the second referendum votes against going ahead, then it doesn’t happen. Thats the point!

The point is to get down to the nitty gritty rather than the emotional aspects inevitably involved in the first. Most people, especially the young, view independence as a swashbuckling, heroic, ‘braveheart’ kind of thing to vote for. At least, that is what I find within my family circle. Maybe I’m wrong. The point of the second referendum is to focus on the practicalities and, just as Andrew Wilson concludes in his report, realise that there will be a dent to living standards for a good number of years. This will separate the true believers from the romanticists. With Brexit, I voted for it on the basis that I was prepared for a 10% hit to my living standards. Time will tell on that one.

There is a good reason why referenda on matters such as Scottish independence should only be held ‘once in a generation’. I don’t think you realise just how long it would take to implement such an enormous change to our constitutional situation. If you imagine the difficulties and complexities in disentangling the UK from the EU, just imagine how much more difficult it would be to remove Scotland from the UK. The systems of banking, currency, taxation, defence, foreign affairs would all need to be addressed along with borders, pensions, the list gets endless. I would guess we’re talking about 10 years here after a Yes vote. I don’t think people realise just how integrated we are and, hence, the difficulties in disentanglement. For what it’s worth, I think if it ever happens, we probably need 2 referenda. The first to establish the principle of separation - yes or no. If it is yes, then a second laying out all the details regarding currency, taxation, pensions, financial forecasts, etc., in order that the people can see the real implications. A forward GERS forecast would be produced showing Scotland as an independent nation and how the finances would look. Something like Andrew Wilson’s Growth commission produced some time ago.

Kyle McLelland -on loan

Absolutely- always will be. Second team is Rangers. Just signed a Rangers player today.

A poll like that plus a great day for Rangers. Wow!

No, in the lead?

Alan is a bright lad. Brilliant!

For situations like this, Boris’s water cannon would be fantastic but the pc brigade got upset. The police had no chance so don’t blame them. You can only go so far in putting people under house arrest. At the end of the day, the human spirit will always defeat repression.

I disagree. I am nowhere near to him as regards politics but his analysis of events is very illuminating and very thought provoking. Most posters, especially Sandy, swallow everything given to them by the SNP without questioning. As examples, for sometime, I have tried to find out the current membership of the SNP. No response. I have also tried to find out where the hypothecated fighting fund of £600k is within their accounts when there is only £97k on their Balance Sheet. No response. Sandy - can you help as you appear to be ‘in the know’?

Just seen McGrandles score a great goal for Lincoln. Oh, for those days, and those players again!!

Shame she believes in biological sex - male and female. This seems to be at odds with SNP policy.